LONDON'S WATER SUPPLY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 23 July 1929, Page 6

LONDON'S WATER SUPPLY

Serious depletion of Water supplies in some parts of England, • owing, to the long period without rainfall, was reported a fow days ago, the message concluding with a 'remark that the London supply has not yet been seriously affectecl. "By the end of May it was stated that "the country was short of rain, the records at Kew showing a. deficiency of five inches below the average. "Even then, in part of Essex the use of water in gardens had been interdicted, and other districts in England were threatened with similar restrictions. But whatever deficiencies there may be elsewhere, the provision made by the Metropolitan Water Board is on so great a scale that none of the. vast population of more than seven millions in its area of supply is likely to suffer any shortage, the "Daily Telegraph" stated. The greater part of the water of London is taken from the Thames, which yields about 60 per cent, of the total supply. From the Lea conies rather more than -20 per cent., and springs and wells furnish about another 20 per cent., the greater part from the Kentish chalk. In the whole year more than ' 90,000,000,000 gallons are taken into the mains. When it is remembered that the London ratepayer hardly knows what it is to be stinted of water it will not be denied that the arrangements which have, made possible the regular maintenance of supplies for this vast agglomeration of people without drawing upon any distant source have been very carefully and wisely designed. Before the end of last century there were those who contended that the future needs of London could not be met without bringing water from Wales. The Metropolitan Water Board, in its twenty-seven years of existence, has not found it necessary to look beyond the Thames and the Lea and the chalk-beds round London. The treatment of the. problem of supply as essentially a matter of storage has provided the solution. There is now storage for 20,000,000,000 gallons, some three months' consumption. Thus eveh in a diy summer no difficulties are to be feared.